MOOSE JAW — City council is throwing its support behind a councillor’s efforts to have the provincial government provide every Saskatchewan municipality with funding to create supportive housing units and emergency shelter spaces.
The Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association (SUMA) has its spring convention in April and has asked its members to submit resolutions about issues they want the province, Ottawa or other agencies to address. However, whether any resolutions reach the convention floor will be up to SUMA’s standing committee on resolutions.
During the Jan. 27 regular council meeting, Coun. Chris Warren brought forward a resolution proposing that the province support municipalities with more resources to address housing needs.
His resolution explained that the Saskatchewan government announced the Provincial Approach to Homelessness (PATH) program in October 2023 and committed $40.2 million in 2024 and 2024. The funding aimed to create 155 new supportive housing spaces and 120 new permanent emergency shelter spaces and enhance community safety and outreach responses, including 30 new emergency shelter spaces for people with complex needs.
However, the province gave all funding for the new supportive housing spaces exclusively to Regina and Saskatoon.
“Supportive housing is essential in addressing homelessness, providing a crucial step for individuals to transition to emergency shelters to stable housing,” Warren’s resolution said. “It offers on-site and visiting support, connecting individuals with wraparound services to help them achieve housing stability.
“Municipalities outside Regina and Saskatoon have conducted Point-in-Time (PiT) counts in 2024, revealing a significant increase in homelessness compared to previous years.”
The resolution then proposed that SUMA advocate that the Government of Saskatchewan provide funding to all provincial municipalities for emergency shelter spaces and low-barrier supportive housing spaces.
Without discussion, council unanimously approved sending the resolution to SUMA for consideration at its spring convention.
The next regular council meeting is Monday, Feb. 10.
